Nothing has changed since last night.
Late yesterday rumors began circulating that the Twins and Mariners were within mere minutes of completing a deal that would have sent Cliff Lee to Minnesota in exchange for two of the farm system's biggest prospects: struggling catcher Wilson Ramos and struggling outfielder (and 2008 first-round draft pick) Aaron Hicks.
Ramos, who raked over his first two games with the Twins before never seeing a fastball again, hasn't been able to produce in Rochester this season. He's still one of baseball's biggest prospects in terms of an offensive catcher, but his .208/.244/.319 line isn't doing him, or the Twins, any favors. He'll turn 23 in August.
Hicks, meanwhile, is doing a bit better in his second turn in Beloit, but he's still batting just .260/.372/.407 as a 20-year old. It's certainly not bad, although some might say it's a bit disappointing for a player with his skills.
FOX Sport's Ken Rosenthal had this to say on the rumor:
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik declined to comment when asked to characterize his discussions with the Twins. No deal between the teams is imminent, another source with direct knowledge of the talks said.
Suffice it to say that, yes, the Twins are scouting Lee actively and are probably one of the few places he could realistically end up. But right now, we're still in a holding pattern.
In the mean time, I'd be ready to move both Ramos and Hicks in return for Lee. Would you?